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Duergar
Introduction Duergar, also known as gray dwarves, were a subterranean race. They were close kin to dwarves, but with a diabolic taint to their blood. They carved out an existence in the Underdark, often near volcanoes. Their kinship to surface dwarves could be compared to that of the drow to surface elves. Description Like their dwarven brethren, duergar were typically stocky figures, though beyond this there were many differences. Both male and female duergar were typically bald, with females also lacking the capacity to grow facial hair. Many were also thinner than their dwarven brethren. Most obvious, however, was their dull gray skin and hair, often matched with an equally stolid expression. Because many duergar found on the surface world were criminal exiles, a surface dweller who encountered one of the gray dwarves was likely to notice facial and arm tattoos that marked the duergar as a traitor to his or her people. Psychology Duergar were at heart a grim and bitter race, pessimistic of their future and deeply cynical regarding the motives of others. In a dark inversion of the strong family bonds typical of their dwarven kin, duergar viewed their kin and clan as adversaries set on holding them back, an expectation that became a self-fulfilling prophecy since every duergar came to believe this from early childhood. As a result, duergar were a dark and cruel race, who showed no mercy to their foes and who took great pleasure in inflicting pain on others, a welcome relief from what they believed was a meaningless life ended with betrayal. Because of their pessimism, duergar rarely adventured of their own free will and were instead most commonly exiles cast out of their society. These adventurers, most commonly concerned with personal gratification, were frequently fighters or rogues, leaning on their training against the threats of the Underdark. Clerics were fairly common as well, serving the duergar gods in order to gain power and influence within society. Unlike the dwarves, duergar had no particular prejudices against arcane spellcasters and both smiths specializing in the smithy of enchanted items and wizards were well respected. Because of their cruel nature, experienced duergar adventurers often became assassins or blackguards, though the veneration of runes in duergar culture also led many to become runecasters. Relations with Other Races Duergar were a coarse and distrustful race who felt that other races were out to get them, whether they were from the Underdark or the surface world. In spite of this, duergar were usually willing to trade with outside races, particularly from the surface world, for the sake of profit and the relations between duergar and their sometime-enemies, sometime-friends the drow and deep gnomes were especially complicated. However, the duergar had absolutely no love in their heart for their closest of kin, the shield dwarves, who the duergar felt abandoned them to the onslaught of the mind flayers. Since then, the duergar had waged war time and time again against the shield dwarves, demonstrating a deep-seated loathing.